Magic Lantern Films

Magic Lantern Films takes its name from the old Magic Lantern Theater, now called the Isla Vista Theater. In the 1970s, the Magic Lantern was an art house that screened classic, independent and foreign films.

The new Magic Lantern picks up where the old one left off by screening critically acclaimed films as well as cult classics. The diverse selection of films will appeal to a variety of audience tastes.

Films screen every Monday night and Thursday night at 8pm during the school year, and every Friday night at 8pm during the summer! Check our schedule for the date and location. Free for UCSB students/$6 for general admission.

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Schedule
Location

SPRING 2025 SCHEDULE

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

IV Theater

Thursday April 3

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: JAMES MANGOLD
2024 / 141MIN

New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.

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HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES

TD-W 1701

Monday April 7

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: PAT BOONNITIPAT
2024 / 125MIN

M, a university dropout low on money and luck, volunteers to take care of his terminally ill grandmother, in the hope of pocketing an inheritance.

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COMPANION

IV Theater

Thursday April 10

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: DREW HANCOCK
2025 / 97MIN

A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.

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PASSAGES

IV Theater

Thursday April 10

10:00pm

DIRECTOR: IRA SACHS
2023 / 91MIN

Tomas and Martin are a gay couple living in Paris whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas impulsively begins a passionate affair with young schoolteacher Agathe. But when Martin begins an affair of his own, Tomas must confront life decisions he may be unprepared—or unwilling—to deal with.

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NICKEL BOYS

TD-W 1701

Monday April 14

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: RaMell Ross
2024 / 140MIN

Elwood Curtis' college dreams are shattered when he's sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner, a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival.

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MUFASA: THE LION KING

IV Theater

Thursday April 17

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: BARRY JENKINS
2024 / 118MIN

Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.

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THE BRUTALIST

TD-W 1701

Monday April 21

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: BRADY CORBET
2024 / 215MIN (including intermission)

Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost.

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LA HAINE

IV Theater

Thursday April 24

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: MATHIEU KASSOVITZ
1995 / 98MIN

After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.

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THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

TD-W 1701

Monday April 28

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: MOHAMMAD RASOULOF
2024 / 168MIN

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

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PARTY GIRL

IV Theater

Thursday May 1

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: DAISY VON SCHERLER MAYER
1995 / 94MIN

Although Mary has little income, she still finds ways to spend her nights at clubs. After being arrested for throwing an illegal rave, she asks her aunt Judy for bail money. Judy then finds Mary a job at her library so that Mary can repay her. Initially, Mary finds the job as a clerk boring and stifling, and prefers to get to know a street food vendor whom she likes. However, Mary must refocus her life once she loses her job and apartment.

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LA PISCINE

TD-W 1701

Monday May 5

8:00pm

DIRECTOR: JACQUES DERAY
1969 / 122MIN

Set in a magnificent villa near a sun-drenched St. Tropez, lovers Jean-Paul and Marianne are spending a happy, lazy summer holiday. Their only concern is to gratify their mutual passion - until the day when Marianne invites her former lover and his beautiful teenage daughter to spend a few days with them. From the first moment, a certain uneasiness and tension begin to develop between the four, which soon escalates in a dangerous love-game.

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Location

Isla Vista Theater
960 Embarcadero del Norte
Isla Vista, CA 93117

Theater and Dance West 1701
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Anisq’Oyo Park
Goleta, CA 93117